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Did You Receive a Warrior Dividend?
A payment of $1,776 was sent to approximately 1.45 million military members in 2025. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that the income is not taxable. The funds used were treated as a supplement to the Basic Allowance for…
Ways to Increase Your Social Security Benefit
The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is not the only way to increase your Social Security benefit. In fact, a COLA increase is not even guaranteed. In 2009, 2010, and 2015, there wasn’t an increase. The good news is that if inflation…
Social Security Has Reduced the Disability Backlog
Social Security has been reducing the backlog of disability claims. The average wait time for a hearing is now the lowest it has been in the past 20 years! The average wait time has dropped to 265 days; it used…
Maximizing Your Social Security Benefits
You are now 62 and eligible to start receiving your Social Security benefits. But should you start them? If you were born in 1960 or later, your full retirement age (FRA) is 67. If you start your benefits at 62,…
The Importance of Discussing When to Start Your Social Security Benefits with Your Spouse
If you and your spouse are close in age, starting your benefits at the same time may not always be the best option for you. You both need to consider your life expectancy, health, and other retirement funds, such as…
How do you earn the maximum Social Security benefit?
Everyone can maximize their Social Security benefit amount by delaying taking it as long as possible. Your benefit maxes out at age 70, so there is no sense delaying it any longer. Your Social Security benefit increases by 76% between…
Women Tend to be More Dependent on Social Security Than Men
Women often stay home to raise children or care for ailing family members. They also tend to live longer than men, approximately 5 years. Women have come a long way in advancing their careers, but they still tend to earn…
Taking Your Social Security Benefits Before Your FRA and Continuing to Work
If you were born in 1960 or later, your full retirement age (FRA) is 67. If you are working and take your benefits early, you will be subject to an earnings limit. If you go over the earnings limit for…
More on the New Trump Plan for Retirment Accounts
Just a few days ago, the Congressional Budget Office weighed in on the full depletion date for Social Security’s trust funds, projecting 2032 as the point where the program would be forced to shift to a cash-in/cash-out operating mode. Absent…
How Important are Defined Contribution Plans to Retirement Success?
If you’ve ever questioned the value of deferred compensation (defined contribution) plans like 401(k)s and IRAs and if you are unsure about the importance of the “401k plans for all” President Trump announced in his State of the Union address…